Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller: Free With Rebate!?

Savvy Mom Finds has the scope on a great Olay rebate now available: Save $20 when you buy Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller and any Pantene Shampoo or Conditioner (12.6 oz. or larger). Grab your rebate here. All purchases must be made by October 25 and the rebate must be postmarked by November 8, 2009.

Please visit Savvy Mom Finds, on deal scenario!

Continue reading Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller: Free With Rebate!? …

From Living as Mom.

Link to the live chat

Here’s the link to the Halloween Fun on a Budget chat that took place tonight.

Continue reading Link to the live chat …

From Monroe on a Budget.

A Christmas Carol Train Tour: Disney’s Free Event

Have you ever wanted a behind the scenes look at the magic of Disney? Walt Disney “A Christmas Carol” starring Jim Carrey will bring you the behind-the-scenes look at the magic. Enjoy a fun interactive event filled with fun including a 3-D theater tent! Visit Disney Picture for more details and get the dates and locations to the Train Tour near you!

Continue reading A Christmas Carol Train Tour: Disney’s Free Event …

From Living as Mom.

Special Offer from Marmee Dear

Martha Green  wrote a great article for my August Digest (Organization for Busy Families) where she shared info on her Make Ahead Mixes, as well as some recipes.

For those who enjoyed that article, I thought I’d pass along this great deal she’s offering on her website. For the next few days Martha is offering 8 full length lessons (valued at over $38) for only $8.95. Visit here to order. If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you’ll find two free downloads as well.

The web page doesn’t list the lessons, but this is what is included:

Makin’ Bread Bowls
From Martha
*A lesson on how to make and bake delicious bowls that are edible.  Fill with hot and hearty stew or soup and eat it all – down to the last crumb of your bowl!
*Find a video demo on our website at The HomeMakers Mentor here

Food Storage
From Rebekah
*Lots of helpful information for storing up food in your household for the days to come!
*Preparing and filling your pantry for lean times is “edible insurance”!

Scriptures on your Walls
From Martha & contributing Homemakers
*Inspiring ideas and photos and how-tos for embellishing your homes with Scripture.

Preparing your Home for Fall and Winter Home
From Rebekah
*Winterizing the Home
*Warm Breakfasts on Cold Mornings—Recipes Included
*Make a Simple Draft Dodger!
*Warm & Yummy Pumpkin Recipes
*Defrosting Your Freezer

Stocking the Family Medicine Cabinet
From Rebekah
*Preventing or Treating the Common Cold
*Relieving the Misery
*Treating with Medication
*Additional Helpers
*About Vaporizers & Humidifiers

What Shall I do with a Bushel of Apples?
From Rebekah & Martha
*Bushels of  information for you to use if you have a bushel of apples or more!
*Includes photo tutorials on chunky or smooth applesauce
*Charts on apple varietes and lots more!

Bathroom Basics
From Rebekah
*Super secrets and tips and how to get a spit spot and sparkling bathroom!
*Quick cleaning guides
*Cleaner Recipes and descriptions

Stir Up your Own Mixes
From Martha
*Make-ahead convenience!
*Homemade goodness and freshness – you control the ingredients!

Continue reading Special Offer from Marmee Dear …

From Econobusters.

Mr. Cheapie’s Frugal Budget Tips

So you feel like a hamster spinning your wheel? The faster you run, the faster the wheel spins. Just when you get a raise, you notice the price of hamster wheels jumps!

Mr. Cheapie is here with his super-charged budget-cutting tips.

Read more

Walgreen’s FREE 5×7 Book: Pay $1.99 Shipping!

With Sammy’s baby dedication yesterday and the Type-A Mom conference this past week, I know I will be grabbing this deal. Get a FREE 5×7 photo book when you become a Fan of Walgreen’s on Facebook! Become a fan by October 2 and only pay $1.99 for shipping!

Continue reading Walgreen’s FREE 5×7 Book: Pay $1.99 Shipping! …

From Living as Mom.

Staples: Dollar Deals, Reward Savings, and $50 HP Savings

Continue reading Staples: Dollar Deals, Reward Savings, and $50 HP Savings …

From Living as Mom.

Never Eat Alone: The Art of Small Talk

This is the ninth of sixteen parts of a “book club” reading and discussion of Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz’s Never Eat Alone, where this book on building a lifelong community of colleagues, contacts, friends, and mentors is teased apart and looked at in detail. This entry covers the seventeenth and eighteenth chapters, “The Art of Small Talk” and “Health, Wealth, and Children,” which appear on pages 143 through 170.

I’m terrible at small talk.

Those little slivers of time right after you meet someone but before a real conversation starts is almost painful to me. I never know what to say and I usually just hope that it doesn’t last too long.

What I’ve come to do is to rely on a handful of standard icebreakers that tend to fill the gap quite well and often lead into some real conversation (which I actually enjoy). They’re just silly things – references to the top news story of the day, a comment on the weather, a compliment of the other person’s clothes or reading material, and so on. However, they get me over the “hump” of small talk nervousness and allow me to begin to get to know the other person.

Ferrazzi addresses the “small talk problem” in this section of the book. Let’s dig in.

Vulnerability
On page 146, Ferrazzi outlines the principle of vulnerability:

Being up front with people confers respect: it pays them the compliment of candor. The issues we all care about most are the issues we all want to talk about most. Of course, this isn’t a call to be confrontational or disrespectful. It’s a call to be honest, open, and vulnerable enough to genuinely allow other people into your life so that they can be vulnerable in return.

How many negotiations would have ended better if both parties involved were simply honest and forthright about their needs? Even when there is disagreement, I’ve found people will respect you more for putting your cards on the table.

In other words, if you’re nervous before a meeting, commenting on that nervousness is a win-win. It not only provides a great conversational icebreaker, but it opens yourself up a bit to others. It’s likely a feeling that they’re having as well and hearing that you’re feeling the same way builds a bond between the two of you.

I often do this. If a situation makes me feel slightly uncomfortable, I’ll say so. If I’m nervous about making small talk, I’ll say that I’m nervous about making small talk. Quite often, the other person feels the same way and is relieved to find that you do, too. It immediately gives you something in common and, at the same time, lowers the threshold for what you have to say next, since the need to impress isn’t as strong as it once was. You already have a rapport.

There may be some situations – such as a negotiation that is going to result with a clear “winner” and a clear “loser” – where vulnerability might not help, but in virtually every other situation, vulnerability is a great way to build rapport with people.

Focus on One Person
Ferrazzi addresses the tendency some people have to constantly “scan the room,” a practice I find pretty weaselly. On page 151, Ferrazzi hammers it hard:

Whether you spend five seconds or five hours with a new contact or acquaintance, make the time count. In Los Angeles, where I live, eye darters are a party staple. They’re constantly looking to and fro in an attempt to ferret out the most important person in the room. Frankly, it’s a disgusting habit, and one that’s sure to put off those around you.

The surest way to become special in others’ eyes is to make them feel special. The correlate, of course, is equally true: Make people feel insignificant and your significance to them shall certainly diminish.

The only person worth paying attention to is the person in front of you. Everyone else can wait – they don’t matter yet.

The counter-argument many people offer against this method is that you might miss something important if you just focus on one person. To those people, I make the point that in your need to find out what’s “going on” around the room, you’re actively alienating the person in front of you.

If I begin a conversation with someone, I make an effort to focus on nothing but that conversation until there’s a lull in that conversation. If the lull happens and I’m not interested in continuing it, then I’ll excuse myself (sometimes after making plans to meet the person later). Otherwise, as far as I’m concerned, the other person (or small group of people) are the only one(s) in the room.

How to Listen
Ferrazzi also argues on behalf of the art of listening. On page 155:

As William James pointed out, “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.”

You should be governed by the idea that one should seek first to understand, then to be understood. We’re often so worried about what we’re going to say next that we don’t hear what’s being said to us now.

[...] Take the initiative and be the first person to say hello. This demonstrates confidence and immediately shows your interest in the other person. When the conversation starts, don’t interrupt. Show empathy and understanding by nodding your head and involving your whole body in engaging the person you’re talking with. Ask questions that demonstrate (sincerely) you believe the other person’s opinion is particularly worth seeking out. Focus on their triumphs. Laugh at their jokes. And always, always remember the other person’s name.

This should come naturally if you’re focused solely on one person. If you’re focusing your attention on the person – and that person alone – then following their words and asking appropriate questions is the natural response to a conversation. Not doing so is a sign that you’re not paying attention.

I don’t really worry about doing such specific things as nodding and so forth. Instead, I just concentrate on the words they’re saying and my honest reaction to them. My physical reactions and follow-up questions simply fall into place behind them.

Having said that, I’m pretty poor at reading people. Quite often, my only indication that others are interested in hearing what I have to say is whether or not they have follow up questions or conversation.

If All Else Fails, Five Words that Never Do
If you’re stuck as to what to say next when making small talk, Ferrazzi has a simple suggestion on page 155:

“You’re wonderful. Tell me more.”

In other words, encourage the other person to talk more about themselves. Why? In the end, everyone enjoys talking about themselves to people who they believe are interested in them.

Thus, encourage people to follow up when they talk about themselves. Dig in for more details (without prying). Tell them you’re interested and listen to their story. Even if you’re not fully interested, attempt to grab onto the threads where you are interested.

This has a double advantage for me – it allows me to get comfortable with the other person without talking too much. I often get self-conscious when speaking.

What’s Your Motivation?
On page 161, Ferrazzi looks broadly at the motivations of others:

In my initial conversation with someone I’m just getting to know, whether it’s a new mentee or simply a new business contact, I try to find out what motivations drive that person. It often comes down to one of three things: making money, finding love, or changing the world. You laugh – most people do when confronted with the reality of their deepest desires.

Get comfortable with that reality.

If you think about your deepest motivations, they really do fall into those three categories that Keith outlines here.

Take me, for example. My biggest motivation is my family – a mix of finding love with a bit of changing the world (by raising my kids to do great things). If I walk through every person I know very well, their motivations usually fall along these lines. My friend who’s in a Christian band hopes to change the world. My career-obsessed friend is all about making the money. Some people have motivations that mix these areas.

It goes even further. What if you simply aren’t motivated by one of these areas? If that’s the case, it’s likely that you’re not in a situation where actually conversing with others and making new friends holds much value for you. Why? If you’re actually interested in building relationships, then your motivation is finding love – not in the romantic sense, necessarily, but in the sense of camaraderie and friendship.

How to Motivate
So, how do you utilize that understanding of people? On page 163:

The only way to get people to do anything is to recognize their importance and thereby make them feel important. Every person’s deepest lifelong desire is to be significant and to be recognized.

In other words, recognize that people are motivated by something very important to them, even if it’s not something you share with them, and realize that the person wants to be seen as being important and significant.

My desires to be a great parent and to be a great writer are central to me. They’re very important to me. Knowing that, it’s easy to connect with me – ask me about my family and chase it with some follow-up questions, or ask me how my novel is going. Follow up. Before you know it, I’m talking up a storm – and you’ll find many avenues to build the conversation from there.

The trick is figuring out what’s central to people, but once you find it, it’s the key to connecting to them.

On Saturday, we’ll tackle the nineteenth and twentieth chapters – “Social Arbitrage” and “Pinging – All the Time.”

Continue reading Never Eat Alone: The Art of Small Talk …

From The Simple Dollar.

Popcorn Brightens Your Mood Scientifically – Fuzzy Wuzzy Wednesday

With fabulous fall colors and bright clear skies, it’s hard to imagine that winter is just around the corner.  But, deep down inside, many of us dread those approaching long, dark days.  Even as we celebrate our harvest and prepare for Halloween and Thanksgiving, some folks suffer from a slow, sinking feeling that soon they will be trapped – trapped by deep snows and icy roads.  The thought can seriously affect a person’s mood.

The fact is, when this depressed mood hits, many people want nothing more than a high-carb snack.  They’re stressed, feeling low, feeling trapped, and depressed, and nothing sounds better than a bag of chips or donuts.  We may have felt energetic all summer long, walking, biking, and swimming, nibbling on our salads, carrots, and celery, but when winter hits, it’s a different story.

When winter comes creeping, our low mood demands those bags of salty potato chips, double-chocolate donuts, and fatty microwave popcorn.  And who can blame us?  Winters can be hard work!  For some folks just heating their home becomes a huge chore and an even bigger expense.  Getting in a car and driving to work during the winter months can be enough of a stress for some people that they invite a bag of potato chips along for the drive!

Lucky for us, I’ve found some real data that suggests that we CAN snack on carbohydrate-laden foods when we are feeling low.  Even better news is that we Should snack on high-carb foods when we start to feel down and depressed.  The catch?  The snack needs to be a healthy carbohydrate.

Science writer Carla Helfferich of the Geophysical Institute, has reported on a study done in cooperation with the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ research community.  The article entitled Darkness on the Brain–and on the Stomach reports that carbohydrates may be needed in some people who suffer from depression, low moods, and even SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder.

The culprit?  The manufacturing of serotonin, the “feel good” biochemical in your brain, has somehow slowed down. The solution?  Well, let me insert a portion of the study mentioned to explain how eating carbohydrates affects the manufacture of serotonin in your brain.

“This (serotonin) biochemical is synthesized in the brain from another chemical, trytophan. Put extremely simply, the more carbohydrates you eat, the more trytophan can get to the brain and the more serotonin will be made there. In normal human systems, a neurochemical feedback quickly signals that there’s enough serotonin for now–one cookie may suffice. With carbohydrate craving, you may be a dozen cookies along before the signal turns off the urge to consume.”

“Serotonin also affects mood and sleepiness. Typically, a high-carbohydrate lunch leads to a sluggish afternoon for office workers–unless they are carbohydrate cravers. Then the effect may be almost invigorating and cheering. Furthermore, trials in SAD patients of a drug that stimulates serotonin production showed that it eased their symptoms of depression and urge to snack on high-carbohydrate foods.”

So, if you are a “carbohydrate craver” when you get depressed or feel low, it sounds like satisfying your craving with carbohydrates is the right thing to do to get your serotonin manufacturing plant running.  That’s good news, right?  Now we can have our carbohydrates without guilt.

Except, how’s that diet going?  And, do you really want to be snacking on a dozen cookies to lift your mood?  I don’t think buying a bigger size pair of pants is going to do anything for my mood.  So, what do the experts suggest?

According to The Serotonin Power Diet authors Judith J. Wurtman, PhD and Nina T. Frusztajer, MD, you can go ahead and give your serotonin a boost with carbohydrates, just be aware of which carbs you should be eating, and when.  They suggest about half hour to an hour before a meal, that you munch on what they call “a serotonin soothing snack.”  This would include pretzels, popcorn, and even cherry licorice. They suggest it will lift your mood and energize you.  Then, at meal time, you’ll eat less and feel better about yourself.  Mood lifted!

Author Elizabeth Somer, R.D., who wrote The Food and Mood Cookbook, says that our real friend in the world of serotonin-producing-carbs is popcorn.  According to researchers, simply snacking on whole-grain, high-carb popcorn can boost our serotonin level by 85% , and unlike other carb-rich snacks, popcorn is low calorie, only about 30 calories in each cup.  Popcorn also contains more fiber than broccoli.  If you stick to air-popped popcorn and skip the butter, you can snack away to your hearts content without destroying your diet!

No matter what season it is, when you’re having one of those “lower than a snake’s belly” sort of days, and all you can think about is filling your face, go ahead and dive right in!  Just as long as it’s a big bowl of freshly air-popped popcorn.

Get your serotonin factory back to work with some good old healthy carbs and feel better without sacrificing your healthy diet.  Now, aren’t you feeling just a little better just knowing you have the “okay” to snack?  Enjoy your Fuzzy Wuzzy Wednesday!

p.s.  How about a simple way to make popcorn in your microwave without buying those fat-laden and expensive bags of microwave popcorn?  Click right here to see how easy it is to do!

Continue reading Popcorn Brightens Your Mood Scientifically – Fuzzy Wuzzy Wednesday …

From Hillbilly Housewife Blog.

Walgreen’s Deals 9-27-09 & Coupon Match Up

Here are a few deals that I have highlighted out for you this week at Walgreen’s! Thanks to Lori for helping compile this list! Be sure to visit Lori at Moms by Heart for additional deals!

Enjoy!
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Oral B Advantage 1-2-3 toothbrush $3
-$.75 from 9/27 PG
-$3 RR
Final Price: $.75 overage

Emergen-C Booster 2pk $3.49
-$3.49 RR
Final Price: FREE

Robitussin DM To-Go 2pk $2.49
-$2.49 RR
Final Price: FREE

Vaseline Sheer Infusion Lotion $6.99
-$6.99 RR
-$1.50 printable HERE
Final Price: $1.50 overage

Chapstick Fresh Effects $2.99
-$2.99 RR
Final Price: FREE

Gillette Fusion MVP Manual or Power Razor $8.99
-$6 RR
-$4 from 9/27 PG
Final Price: $1 overage

Halls Refresh Sugar Free Drops $1
-$1 RR
-$.75 from 9/27 SS
Final Price: $.75 overage

Herbal Essence Hair Care $2.99
$2 RR
-$1 from 9/13 RP
Final Price: FREE

Looking for deals at a store not feature here, visit the grocery gathering at Becentsable!

Continue reading Walgreen’s Deals 9-27-09 & Coupon Match Up …

From Living as Mom.

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